Foodie resolutions are good for health — and business — in Taunton area

Charles Winokoor Taunton Gazette Staff Reporter @cwinokoor

Saturday

Jan 5, 2019 at 11:39 PM

RAYNHAM — It’s a new year, so don’t eat like a fool.

And with that sort of attitude and New Year’s resolution firmly in place, it’s not just consumers in the Taunton area trying to lose weight and feel better who stand to benefit from eating healthy grub.

Just ask Erin Paiva. The owner of Farm2Cup Juicery at 290 Broadway says sales since Jan. 1 at her Raynham business have been through the roof.

“We’ve been slammed every day,” said Paiva, who opened her fresh juice, smoothie, sandwich-wrap and salad business in 2017.

“This week has just been crazy,” she said, despite the fact that a steady, cold rain on Saturday was putting a damper on sales that particular day.

In addition to individual breakfast and lunch orders, Paiva said ushering in a new year has also meant increased sales of more expensive “cleanse” orders — which range from $70 to $110 and include a three-day supply of healthy drinks and salads.

Paiva says she’s thinking of extending her weekday hours for the remainder of the month by an extra hour due to the uptick in business.

Donna Conway of Taunton, who was visiting Farm2Cup Juicery for the first time, said she was trying to get a jumpstart on her usual January resolution to be more health-conscious in what she eats.

Conway, 55, said she employs a similar eat-healthy credo when she shops for groceries.

“I pretty much shop on the outside aisle,” she said, referring to fresh produce such as fruits, vegetables and meats.

She described items located within “inside” aisles as “dry and high in calories.”

Schievink, 50, said she was doing her best to carry on a New Year’s resolution she made to herself a year ago.

“I told myself last year I was going to eat less processed food,” she said.

“I still read the ingredients on labels. I try not to buy anything I can’t pronounce,” Schievink added.

Assistant manager Patrick Moody says he’s seen his share of trends during his eight years working for Market Basket.

Salad items, he said, have been hot sellers this past week, so much so that another store in the chain called one day to ask if the Raynham store could send them some of its leafy merchandise.

Moody, 27, says sales of vegetable noodles — the ingredients of which can range from beets and zucchini to carrots and yams — have been in vogue.

He estimates that sales in his department typically increase by a third for close to a month after New Year’s Eve, but tend drop off somewhat as people realize that sticking to dietary vows isn’t always as easy as pie.

According to the health section of PhillyVoice.com, anyone seeking long-term benefits from a New Year’s resolution to become healthier, happier and more alert should embrace and adopt the following five resolutions:

Stay hydrated by drinking more water; add fruits, veggies and nuts to your meal; establish a consistent sleep pattern; stick with a reasonable exercise regimen; and stay in touch with family and friends.